Memorial award named after physics professor who inspired love of science

By Kristen McEwen

Researcher and professor Dr. Don McEwen (PhD) inspired a love of education and science for hundreds of students.

Throughout his 60-year career, Don primarily worked as a professor at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) in the Department of Physics and Engineering Physics, where he often shared advice as a graduate thesis advisor for students. He was also the head of the Institute for Space and Atmospheric Studies for more than 20 years.

“He was an amazing guy, definitely someone we all hope to duplicate in a way,” said his son, Rob.

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Don passed away in November 2023 at the age of 93. His friends and family—including his wife Barbara, and sons Keith, Bryan, Rob and Colin—decided to work with the physics department to establish a fund in memory of Don.

The Don McEwen Memorial Award in Physics was established to award students majoring in physics or engineering physics, and to encourage careers in space and atmospheric physics. The $1,000 award will be given to students who have provided a one-page summary detailing their personal interest in pursuing a career in space and atmospheric physics.

The first recipient of this award is engineering physics student Sarah Kalid. An outstanding student, she previously served as president of the Saskatoon Engineering Students’ Society.

You can support students like Kalid and honour the memory of professor Don McEwen by making a gift to the Don McEwen Memorial Award in Physics fund online.

Though he retired in 1997, Don stayed as professor emeritus in the department and continued his research until 2016.

With an appetite for adventure, Don explored the world well into his 80s. He visited Antarctica for the first time in his 70s and continued to visit until he was 83 years old.

“He had to undergo very thorough medical tests and be in great shape,” Keith said. “But he did that without any trouble.”

In Antarctica, he conducted research and co-authored papers with a colleague, Dr. Abas Sivjee (PhD). The two met in Saskatoon in the 1960s, when Abas was a postdoctoral fellow, and Don was his professor and sponsor.

When Abas completed his fellowship, he moved to the United States and the pair stayed in contact.

“Even though I had left Saskatoon, and I was in the US, we still worked together,” Abas said.

Abas offered Don to come to work with him on research in Antarctica. Abas was the director of the Space Physics Research Laboratory and a professor of engineering physics at the Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida.

“We had a long research co-operation, but we also had a good family relationship with his wife and children, both in Saskatoon and the US,” Abas said.

“I still miss him,” he added. “I think he was a very excellent, very good friend of mine. He was a very nice gentleman, a very caring person and a good scientist.”

Born in Riverhurst, Sask., in 1930, Don grew up on his family farm, working for his family and on neighbouring farms, filling in for his older siblings that were serving in the Second World War.

After graduating high school, he decided to become a teacher in Riverhurst. As he was completing his education degree at USask, he found that his science classes captured his interest.

As he took additional science classes, his interests led him to the Department of Physics and Engineering Physics. He decided to pursue a Master of Science degree in physics, while also working as a researcher at the Churchill Rocket Research Range.

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He continued his education at Western University in London, Ont., with a PhD in spectroscopy. It was here that he met his wife, Barbara.

Barbara clearly remembers the day she and her husband first met. In 1963, Barbara had moved to London, Ont., from Scotland with a friend, working as physiotherapists at a hospital. The pair were invited to a party on campus at Western University for newcomers and new students.

“And I met Don—our eyes met across the room, and we were friends from then on,” Barbara said. “He looked like a nice person. And I guess he thought the same about me.”

That same year, Don and Barbara decided to get married. They traveled back to Barbara’s home in Scotland. After they returned to Canada, Don started a job with the Defense Research Board in Ottawa and they had their first son, Keith.

As their family began to grow, Don and Barbara had three more sons, Bryan, Rob and Colin. Don decided to take a job offer at USask in the physics department in 1969 and moved his family to Saskatoon.

Through work, Don had the opportunity to travel and take his family with him. The entire group travelled all over the world, including Africa, England and Australia.

“We had the most wonderful experiences,” Barbara said. “(Don) was gentle by nature, and loved his work—enthusiastic about all of it.”

“Life was very interesting with Don,” she added.

When asked about what she thought Don would think about the memorial award, Barbara expressed that her husband would have been proud of the purpose of the award.

“He would be pleased to know that education goes on because he was a great one for education. I think he would be pleased that (his sons) had done that. I’m sure he would be.”

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